


The Blue-Haired Man

by josiegrae



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Developing Relationship, First Dates, First Meetings, HP: Epilogue Compliant, Jeddy Fest, M/M, Texting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-07
Updated: 2018-04-07
Packaged: 2019-04-19 16:42:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14241531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/josiegrae/pseuds/josiegrae
Summary: T: So how old are you? Am I breaking any laws?J: If you think I look under 16 we have issues.James notices Teddy "Blue-Hair" Lupin immediately, and he is captivated from the get-go. One small lie, and a coffee later, he is falling head over heels for the man with the ever-changing hair.





	The Blue-Haired Man

**Author's Note:**

  * For [RuArcher (Coriesocks)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Coriesocks/gifts).



> Dedicated, and a huge thank you, to RuArcher who held my hand throughout and beta'd the hell out of this for me. I adore you, and think you're amazing.

* * *

 

It began when James stopped in front of the music store, and couldn't take his eyes of the man working in the window.

And the fact the man's hair was blue— _striking_ blue. Unable to rip your eyes from it, blue.

Then there was the sadness on the man's face—almost as though his hair reflected his sorrow. It was confusing, mainly because the shop looked far more fun than his own—and James wasn't sure if blue-hair knew this. As he moved closer to the shop—theoretically moving closer to blue-hair, the name he had chosen for the man—James even noticed that he had a matching pale complexion to go with his sadness, and dark black rings under his eyes—ones that could be seen from the distance he was at. He noticed  _all of this_  as he made it  _painfully_ obvious he was walking towards him directly, and even as blue-hair man's eyes met James', he didn't turn away.

' _Potter_  confidence is striking again', James smirked to himself as he placed his always- _lucky_ -smirk upon his lips, and made sure to turn his chin slightly to elongate his neck, and make his face more angular. It was a move that never failed James, except this time.

It was ironic that he thought blue-hair-man's hair was as blue as the ocean, because he was a fish that wasn't caught by the same net James usually used. He couldn't accept it. He wouldn't accept it. He had never, ever found his ' _move'_ to be unsuccessful.

Until now, when blue-hair turned around, giving James his back.

oOo

James has a  _ridiculously_  toned body. He knows that.

Too many hours have been spent crafting it, either in the gym or with his father, training for marathons James never committed to, always searching to be better than  _Harry Potter_ —the town's hero. It irked him that his father was practically famous, but it aggravated James' younger brother more—and so James, wanting to be the one  _sane_  son, bottled his annoyance up, channelling it all into the cardio machines in their cellar.

He considered, on his next walk to work—purposefully making sure he could see the store window where blue-hair worked—whether lifting his top up to show him would entice him but James quickly realised he would look desperate. Almost as desperate as his brother—remembering his poor attempt at flirting with Rose—and James  _did not_  want to be anything like his brother, so quickly decided against such a display, even if he knew it would work.

James smirks at his own joke, looking every bit as unhinged as he feels when he realises he was laughing to himself.

He chooses not to go to the store today, even if blue-hair has never looked fitter.

oOo

Desperation is beginning to strike. James starts to feel as if blue-hair's name is like a burger, and he is on hunger strike. e becomes that desperate, he speaks to his mum, who gives the brilliant advice of, " _just talk to him_ ", as though James hadn't thought of that.

One week after the sighting of blue-hair, and James already knows this  _fish_  is one he wants to date— _really_  date. He's under his skin, he's out of reach, and the chase has never felt so... _chasey_.

When James passes the storefront, his heart sinks as the doors open and he only sees a brown-haired male wrestling with a promotion board. Stuffing his hands into his pocket in annoyance, grumbling to himself like a spoilt child, he gives one last look only to make eye contact with  _brown-hair_ , and quickly realises it's blue-hair in a new form.

James' day isn't so rotten from that point—even if he sells sausage rolls to customers who need to lower their carbohydrate intake. In his personal opinion, of course.

On the last sale of the day, James makes a promise that if he can flirt his way to an up-sale on the last batch of pizza slices, he'll talk to  _blue-hair-turned-brown_  tomorrow.

The skinny woman with green eyes doesn't stand a chance when James flutters his lashes, showing her the Potter-green eyes he's been blessed with.

Her smile doesn't stop growing, moving from ear-to-ear, and she leaves with  _seven_  pizza slices. James thinks bingo as she leaves, doing the moonwalk with the mop post-sale.

oOo

Blue-turned-brown-hair from the music store—the one with the smile that brightened the shop front, and whose laugh sounded nicer than most of the songs in the charts—worked most days. While James had promised himself to talk to him, he decided more recon was needed.  _Did his voice sound good? Did his smile make his stomach flip, or was it in James' head?_

Recon proved blue-hair-turned-brown was the one. James began to feel more scared than he ever had in his life. It didn't help matters that when their eyes met, the expression blue-hair-turned-brown sported made something die inside of James. It didn't stop him from stepping over the line that separated store from outside, and James realised he had gone too far now to turn back.

Blue-hair-turned-brown was on DVD's, and he had  _never_  looked more pissed off—although James had only noticed him two weeks ago now, so he knew the man possibly had been.

James, however—having never been good with emotions—had no idea  _what_  to do. He was in one mind to approach him, ask him if he was okay and if he wanted a coffee—until he realised how bizarre that was, and how forward he would seem. His second thought was to smile, because that usually got him far, but when their eyes met once more—just as James studied the sale aisle—James felt his face drop and embarrassment flood his cheeks.

 _For fuck sake_ , he hissed to himself, because only he—the most confident man in his family—could melt into a puddle when it really mattered. James blamed his father, and his grandfather, and probably the rest of the Potter lineage, because from stories he had heard, all of them had turned into a wet lettuce at the sight of someone they  _really_ fucking liked.

James left disgruntled.

Tomorrow was a new day.

oOo

The feeling James had hoped would fade didn't disappear when he got home. If anything, James  _couldn't stop_  thinking about the man from the music store. Blue hair, brown hair, it didn't matter—his eyes, green and beautiful—had burned into his soul. James was distracted, barely touching the food his mum made him and didn't even comment when Albus had one of his tantrums about his lip-piercing being real—even though they all knew it was a clip on. Everyone had noticed he was acting different, but James didn't even care about hiding it—he  _liked_  the man from the music store, and he knew he needed to speak to him because otherwise, he'd  _never_  eat. And he couldn't  _not_  eat because he needed fuel and energy, and if he didn't have the energy, he wouldn't work out, which wouldn't release his rage at his  _dysfunctional-as-fuck_  family.

James realised, without much thought, that he was unravelling, and he didn't like it one bit.

It took James two more days to muster the courage to learn the  _blue-hair-turned-brown_  man's name. He had purposefully gone into the store, feeling confident with his head held high, until they met eyes and every shred of confidence left James body quicker than a fart after a curry.

Attempting to think of something— _anything_ —James ended up being forced to settle on the DVD closest to him—the  _very one_  his brother Albus had not stopped  _fucking_  talking about—and walked over to the man of his dreams.

" _You_  like Star Wars?" Blue-hair-turned-brown says with a smile, his brow raised as though reading James instantly.

James knows he could tell the truth— _James knows he should tell the truth—_ but instead, he flashs one of his pearly white smiles, and tries to fake confidence like he has never had to before.

"Well, what isn't there to like?" James says, offering a wink. "I'm James."

"Edward, but I prefer Teddy—if we are to stand in the middle of the DVD section sharing personal information about ourselves," Teddy says, smiling.

_Fuck. He's funny. I don't know funny. Am I funny? Fuck!_

James takes a deep breath, making sure to lick his lips slowly—his favourite move, if he could have a move. "James or Jamie, but if you have something more interesting in mind, you can call me what you like."

The words barely left his lips before he feels himself blush. His cheeks, and even ears, beginning to burn—something that had  _never_  happened to James in his life, and he suddenly begins to feel sympathy for his awkward brother. He also realises he has said Jamie, and he has never been called Jamie, and he has no idea if he even likes the  _name_  Jamie for himself.

Teddy rubs the back of his head, James' eyes following the sight as he feels himself smile. "I'll stick with Jamie, it's less formal than  _James._  So, do you want me to put that through, Jamie?"

James frowns, feeling his neck burning up.

"The DVD, unless you want the Blu-ray?"

 _Fuck_.  _What is he talking about?_  "Oh, yeah. Blu-ray. Yeah." James nods, clearing his throat awkwardly.

He feels Teddy staring, searching past his eyes and hunting for lies.  _Lie Catcher: Teddy, from HMV—_

"You don't have a clue what a Blu-ray is, do you?" Teddy asks, folding his arms as he looks at him all  _know-it-all-_ like. "Have you  _even_  watched Star Wars?"

James bit down on his lip, tapping the box against his fingers. "If I say no to both, will you still give me the time of day?"

Teddy suddenly grins. "No."

"Then I have seen  _everything_ ," James smirks, purposefully emphasising he was lying. " _Everything_  about stars and  _everything_  about wars."

Nodding his head in another direction, Teddy turns on his heel, and for a split-second, James doesn't know whether to follow. He stands, like a fool, until he hears Teddy cough as he looks over his shoulder. Without question or much thought, James dashes after him, feeling somewhat out of his depth.

"So," Teddy says as he stopped near a chart wall, blue cases and numbers lining the shelves. "Blu-rays. They're a little more expensive, but better quality." He turns around, grabbing something from above—allowing James a chance to ogle at the way Teddy's skinny jeans cups his arse. "Star Wars," Teddy says as he hands James the Blu-ray, "let me know what you think of the  _special features_."

James nods, taking the case from him as he tries to fight a smirk.

"You came in for something else, didn't you?"

Licking his lips, James begins to blushe. It's  _now or never, Jamie-boy, now or never_. "I came in to ask you...well—"

"I'm older than you," Teddy says, his ears going red as he avoids James' eyes. "I…" rubbing the back of his head again. "And, I'm not a fun guy."

James bites the inside of his cheek. "Fun _-gi_ ," he says with a smirk, trying not to let a laugh out.

"And clearly more mature," Teddy adds sarcastically, painting a smirk on his face. " _Fuckin' fungi_?" He whispers.

"Shh," James laughs, trying to keep it bottled. "I'm trying to not look like an immature dick in front of this attractive man I  _really_ want to take for coffee."

He looks at Teddy, meeting his eyes as he sees the words hit his ears, and their desired effect beginning to work. James has never been so nervous— _not ever_ —not when he has to get to the penalty line and take the final shot; not when he sits at the desk in the exam hall, preparing himself to be a failure in his parents' eyes. This,  _was_  it.

"I finish at 7 tomorrow," Teddy sighs. "Starbucks?"

James let out his held breath. "Brilliant."

"Wicked." Teddy nods.

"Fan- _tastic."_

"Stop," Teddy says with a straight face before turning it into a smile.

James only nods, trying not to grin from ear-to-ear.

oOo

James doesn't skip home, per se, and he doesn't run, but he definitely didn't walk. He wants to chant from the rooftops, he had a date, and his date was fit, but he doesn't think his father would quite like that particular soundtrack.

He was so giddy, James slid into Albus' room and hands him the Blu-ray with a smirk, watching as love and adoration fills his brothers' eyes.

When it came to dinner, he helps—like actually helps and didn't get in the way like usual. He asks his father how his day was catching bad guys, and he asks his mum if she has covered the story on the local girl's football team. James may have been high—on Teddy from the music store—while his parents consider if he was  _actually_  high.

It doesn't matter either way. James was happier than he has ever been.

He has a date, with a man he really,  _fucking_  likes.

oOo

James was bang on time. Actually, he was two minutes early, and he has snagged the best table—window in the corner. He sighs with relief when Teddy walks in—with light greyish, pink hair—and does an awkward wave, feeling like a prat every millisecond he does it for.

They both order coffees, and James treats Teddy to a muffin—a blueberry muffin—and even Teddy seems to make the connection between the baked good and his former hair colour.

It is awkward, but a few sips later and a few minutes, James finds his feet and makes Teddy laugh—and it, is, glorious. Teddy isn't just funny, but he is insightful and sarcastic, he is childish and dry. At one point James thought his insides were going to burst from laughing, and when he glances at the clock, feeling the cold cardboard cup, his heart sinks.

"I had a nice time, Jamie," Teddy says with so much truth it takes James by surprise. "You seem like a rather normal guy—considering you came into where I work and acted  _not-so-normal._ "

James has a move all set, but the honesty in Teddy's eyes makes him consider something else. It scares him, especially to move out of his comfort zone, but he decides this was a jump he wants to make.

"I'm going to give you my number," James says as he places his hand on the table for Teddy's phone. "And I'm going to be honest, because it is something I never am. I'm a twat, and I'm usually a dick to people, but, I  _really_ like you, and I want to be as honest as I can be. So. The ball is in your court."

Teddy looks at him, studying him, and for once James knows he won't bend under the look.

"Did you watch the film you bought?"

James shakes his head. "It was  _literally_ the first thing I picked up, and the only way I knew how to talk to you. I watch Netflix when I can, but that is it."

Teddy's eyes narrow, and James' heart is in his throat, thumping and thumping away.

"Would you like to?" Teddy asks with a smirk, and James feels his heart jump out of his chest. "I'm going to educate you, because there is no fucking way you know all the stars and all the wars."

James presses one hand to his chest and the other on Teddy's phone as though swearing in. "I know nothing."

Teddy laughs, and it was like a song. "They should make a film on what is about to happen,  _Geek Teaches Cool Kid._ "

"Hey!" James protests, retracting his hand as though offended.

He watches as Teddy roll his eyes. "Oh come on, you clearly spend more time in the gym than I spend making skins on Tumblr."

"On  _what_?"

Teddy quietly laughs, unlocking his phone as he gave it to James. "God, you have so much to learn."

oOo

James doesn't have to wait long to hear from Teddy after he leaves him, and it makes him giggle like a child all the way up to his room. The drive home has been an array of The Killers and Arctic Monkeys being screamed out, and James has never looked cheerier when he greeted his parents.

They looked worried,but he doesn't care, especially when his phone vibrates with Teddy's first text.

T:  _I know I should play it cool, but I'm learning from previous Lupin mistakes._

J:  _What's a Lupin mistake?_

T:  _Oh, it's my surname.  
_ T:  _My dad, he waited far too long to ask my mum out._

J:  _Glad you didn't waste time with me._

T:  _You text pretty good for someone of your age._

He laughs for half a minute at Teddy's text, especially because he sounds ancient compared to him. If he were with him in person, he'd have snorted—politely, but it would have still been a snort.

J:  _Don't judge a man by his skin, Teddy._

T:  _And there was me thinking you'd like that, Jamie._

 _Fuck, yes I do,_  James smirks as he tries to calm himself, not wanting to blow this.

T:  _So how old are you? Am I breaking any laws?_

J:  _If you think I look under 16 we have issues._  
J:  _I'm 22._  
J:  _And in the spirit of honesty, I live with my parents still, and not because I can't afford to move out, but because my dad is a lunatic and doesn't trust me to move out.  
_ J:  _I think that could sound worse, but trust me, I'm responsible._

He waits, watching for bubbles, listening for the usually irritating sound of someone typing. But it doesn't come. James turns his phone right up, not wanting to miss the text when it arrives.

When a minute clocks up, he begins to pace. When it becomes five minutes, he picks up his dumbbells in his room. At the half an hour point, James was between manic crying and hissing expletives.

oOo

James wakes up in a puddle of his own saliva. He is face down in his pillows, fully dressed, mouth open, and he has dribbled— _a lot._ He has been so distracted with grumbling and disgust, he hasn't checked his phone, but when he does, his heart races like a man who has bet his life on a horse.

T:  _I'm sorry! My phone died, hope you didn't fall asleep._  
T:  _You're asleep, fuck. Don't be mad, I didn't see your age and run. I promise. Disclosure: I'm 28, and I live in my grandma's house._  
T:  _My grandma doesn't live here though btw.  
_ T:  _That means by the way, I'm not sure if you're down with the kids ;)_

Biting the inside of his mouth James lets his shoulders sink and the tension, he has been holding from the night before, fall.

J:  _That desperate for my company you berated me with texts. Someone's keen for me. Good morning btw ;)_

He showers quickly, not wanting to miss a second, but in the midst of his second shampoo, he hears the sound of his text tone and a self-satisfied smile passes his lips.

T:  _It isn't every day you're asked out on a date by the hottest guy from the bakery.  
_ T:  _I am not a stalker, but I did clumsily walk in when you were moonwalking once. Nice moves._

J:  _I can show you them in person sometime._

T:  _Deal. Tomorrow? Or too keen?_

James hums as he responds back an ' _of course, but it's fine'_ , and towel dries his hair with added pizzazz.

oOo

They never watch the  _film_  nor does James show Teddy his moonwalk. But kissing Teddy is like a sensory overload that short circuits James upon contact.

He kisses him like he's never kissed someone before, and he grips onto Teddy's arm with an intensity that scares  _even_  James. He presses his lips to Teddy's as he tries to rationalise every decision he's ever made, but forever thankful they led him to here, to Teddy, and James realises, in the throes of having his shirt undone, he really fucking likes him. Like, bring him home to his parents,  _like_ , and go out to restaurants with food he can't pronounce  _likes_.

James kisses Teddy like he had been starved of oxygen, or love—which can't be true, because he has always been surrounded by love his entire life, and maybe that was the problem. His mind is going down a dangerous path, so he rolls his hips into Teddy's and grips the greyish-pink hair, and he moans as his brain cuts out and everything becomes  _blissful_.

oOo

James sleeps with Teddy.  _Thrice_.

And if James includes the celebratory blowjobs after, it was five. _Fuck_ , he loves giving blowjobs.

His cheeks have become flushed, his muscles ached in a way running couldn't make them burn, and he was sporting a smile even half-price protein shakes couldn't bring.

"I feel we should... _classify this_ ," Teddy says from beside him, and James turns his head.

"You sound so  _Professor-like_."

Teddy shrugs as he licks his lips. "My dad was a professor, maybe the tone is hereditary."

James lies there for a second, and realises painstakingly that he has no clue why Teddy refers to his parents in the past tense. As though reading his thoughts, Teddy clears his throat.

"Hit and run, dead on impact, I was one, grandma raised me."

It is said in such a calm way, as though Teddy is at peace with it or has become so detached from it it seems like any normal fact. James decides against pushing for more.

"My dad is deputy commissioner Harry James Potter of the—"

"— _Metropolitan_   _Police…_ " Teddy finishes.

Turning his head to face the ceiling, James let's out a heavy sigh. "Hence why I still live a home."

A silence falls between them, but James doesn't find it awkward, it's surprisingly comfortable. His brain is whirring; not with information or thoughts, but it's busy, and active.

"Does he know you're here… _your dad?_ " Teddy nervously asks as James lets out another sigh, already regretting telling him about his father.

"He does. He's fine with it; he probably did a background check, I won't lie. He does one on everyone—and yes, it's probably illegal, but my dad worked his way up, he's respected, and he's  _famous_ , and everyone adores him," James reels off, and is surprised to find Teddy curling up against him. "So even if someone had an issue, they'd probably not say something—and why are you  _rubbing_  my abs?"

Teddy grins, a lopsided nervous one—and James quite likes it, it's different than his usual, and it makes him feel special that he's seen it. "I like you, Jamie. Even with the crazy police dad."

James releases the tension, even if he didn't know he had been tensing to begin with. "I like you too, Teddy. Even if that large photo of your grandmother is staring at me from above your living room TV."

oOo

Between work,  _and Teddy_ , James isn't home much—much to the annoyance of his parents.

He ends up spending more time at Teddy's, mainly for the privacy. James is shown Teddy's art room, where he sketches and does animation—which he is exceedingly good at. He helps Teddy pick his next hair colour, and after much pleading for green, opts for blond. James isn't sure he slept that night, having broken both Teddy's bed and the handrail in the bathroom from fucking Teddy senseless at the sight of his new look.

On his weekly visit home, Teddy offers to come with, and he meets James' mum—who instantly approved—and he greets his father, who doesn't immediately hate him.

James ends up at Teddy's nearly every night after their second month anniversary, and James is adamant they're moving too fast, but he doesn't want to ruin it. They're happy—stupidly happy. They bicker, of course, but about things that are resolved with understanding or sex, and neither of them are bitter an hour after they've  _made up._

Teddy doesn't even crack when James is out, and his father turns up. James, who is out trialling for a position with Diagon FC—upon Teddy's insistence—receiving several text messages that range from panic to panic-calm to something James isn't sure of.

T:  _So, your dad is here._  
T:  _Oh fucking brilliant, he wants me._  
T:  _If I go missing, it was your dad. S-O-fucking-S btw,  
_ T: _OK your dad is calm, and he's asking about my intentions, is it a good time to ask him for three camels to take you off his hands._

James is trying to remove his sweaty sock upon reading that particular text, and ends up smacking himself in the face with his own hand. He hates and loves Teddy's humour.

 _Love._ He...James gasps in the middle of the changing room as though someone has died, and he's almost rocked to the core, except the manager is coming towards him, and he needs to concentrate.

"So, Potter, you're in," Wood—the manager says as  _calm as a fucking cucumber_ , "Be here Monday, 6 am sharp."

James doesn't even  _know_  what 6am is. Even when he runs with his father, it's 8 or 9 am at least. "Yes sir," he responds, trying to hide the excitement and sheer fucking panic of his own confessional thought.

T:  _The joke bombed, apparently no less than a billion camels for Harry Potter's son._  
T:  _I hope everything is going OK. Because it's going fucking awkward here.  
_ T:  _Your dad says hi, oops._

He wants to ring Teddy, especially as he continues to read the array of blue messages, but he's scared that if he does, he'll blurt those three words out. The ones that won't stop circling his brain.

So he doesn't ring, and he  _doesn't_  text. James  _just_  gets in his car and drives in the direction of Teddy's house—which for the amount he stays there, is technically James' too, since all his shit is there. And another wave of panic sets in, and his palms are sweaty, and his stomach is doing loops around itself.

It takes ten minutes, with traffic lights being a bitch, for James to get home—which is good for the new job that he apparently has.

oOo

It took James' father an  _annoyingly_ long time to leave, especially after the  _congratulations_  and the  _my boy is going to be a football player._ When the two of them heard Harry's Range Rover leave the drive, they both sighed.

"So…"

James claps his hands together, wearing an awkward as fuck smile even he finds creepy. "So?"

"Your dad asked me if we're living together."

"Oh."

Teddy laughs. "Oh, indeed. He then proceeded to inform me my hair choices were surprising." James noticed a change in Teddy's voice, as though he was trying to hold composure, or trying to ignore something in his own chest. James knew that feeling, he had experienced it often. "I don't always like my appearance, changing my hair...it's an easy way to alter what I see in the mirror. You know that right? And it isn't because I'm an irresponsible mid-twenty—"

James placed his hand on Teddy's chest, silencing him with a look. "I don't really care, I like that you're a chameleon."

James tries to sell the truth with a grin, but Teddy still seems worried—it's in his eyes, and he knows this is it. Now or never all over again, and it's even fucking scarier now. But, he has to jump, because he needs to know if he'll be caught.

Clearing his throat, James taps his fingers on Teddy's chest, staring into his eyes. "I guess it's good that I can't fall in love with a hair colour."

A beat, and then he sees Teddy's eyes widen.

"But you could fall for the man who sports them?" Teddy asks, the two of them studying the other.

Taking a step closer to close the gap, James took the end of Teddy's fingers with his other hand, while keeping the other pressed to his heart. "I think I already have,  _unfortunately_...is that, an issue?"

"Not at all, Jamie."

"Good,  _roomie..._ unless that's an issue _?"_

Teddy looks set to burst, and James knows the feeling well—he's experiencing the same. "Not at all, your dad said he'll be back tomorrow with the rest of your stuff… unless that's an issue," Teddy smirks.

"Fuck,  _I love you_. I have done since you had blue hair and that was all I knew your name to be—

"—Wait,  _what?"_ Teddy laughs.

But James silences him, crushing his lips against Teddy's sealing the moment, sealing the night with a kiss that is so powerful it takes both of their breath away, at the same time.

* * *

 

**oOo**

**Author's Note:**

> Find Me On Tumblr: [josiemoone](https://josiemoone.tumblr.com)


End file.
